Designing the interface between research, learning and teaching.

Abstract: This paper’s central argument is that teaching and research need to be reshaped so that they connect in a productive way. This will require actions at a whole range of levels, from the individual teacher to the national system and include the international communities of design scholars. To do this, we need to start at the level of the individual teacher and course team. This paper cites some examples of strategies that focus on what students do as learners and how teachers teach and design courses to enhance research-led teaching. The paper commences with an examination of the departmental context of (art and) design education. This is followed by an exploration of what is understood by research-led teaching and a further discussion of the dimensions of research-led teaching. It questions whether these dimensions are evident, and if so to what degree in design departments, programmes and courses. The discussion examines the features of research-led departments and asks if a department is not research-led in its approach to teaching, why it should consider changing strategies

Evaluation of the development and application of multimedia computer assisted learning in Higher Education.

This thesis deals with approaches to the evaluation of multimedia computer assisted learning in higher education. The thesis is presented in two parts. The first part consists mainly of a literature based review of the rationale and methods employed in the development of multimedia CAL systems focusing on the ability of such systems to deliver a variety of pedagogic aims and objectives which the literature on the subject generally attributes to them. This was done in order to identify and examine the important features which should be incorporated in the effective evaluation of such systems. 1) the pedagogical basis of multimedia learning environments with particular reference to the mechanism by which they claim to encourage an approach to learning which facilitates 'deep' rather than 'shallow' learning' (Chapters 3 and 4); 2) the basis on which multimedia CAL systems claim to provide interactive learning environments which allow the teaching materials to be tailored by learners to accommodate their own individual preferences for adopting particular learning strategies. In particular this focused on the importance of individual learning styles and learners' degree of computer confidence (Chapter 5); 3) the institutional/delivery factors which must be understood to explain fully the context in which evaluations are carried out and which may have important effects on the outcomes of evaluation (Chapter 6). This literature review, together with a practical survey of a range of existing CAL courseware and an e-mail survey of CAL developers provides the basis for presenting an approach to evaluation which differentiates systems on the basis of the pedagogic approach they adopt and the context in which they are implemented. Finally, a critical review of existing evaluation methods was undertaken and important elements within these methods were incorporated into a new framework for evaluation. The framework provides a tool for determining an evaluation strategy that encompasses all stages of development, formative and summative evaluation of CAL courseware. Evaluation is based on the explicit aims and objectives of the courseware being provided and is moderated by contextual factors that define the pedagogical approach being taken, any individual learner differences that must be taken into account, and the institutional/delivery context within which the courseware is used. An analysis of the implications of the framework when formulating an evaluation strategy demonstrates weaknesses in the assessment instruments currently being used in evaluation studies - particularly for providing reliable measures of 'learning effect' as part of summative evaluation and also with respect to accurate quantification of costs associated with development and use of CAL courseware. The second part of the thesis tests the framework. The approach taken was to develop and formatively and summatively assess a multimedia CAL system used to teach parts of a course on bibliographic classification to students at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Qualitative and quantitative tests to accomplish this are described and the result of statistical analyses of learner performance when using the system are presented. This empirical study provides further insights into the practical problems involved in developing and evaluating a multimedia CAL system and in particular highlights: 1) the influence which individual learning style (as measured by the Gregorc Style Delineator) has on student performance in a context in which postgraduate students were required to use the CAL courseware rather than attend lectures - results indicate that CAL does not serve all learners equally; 2) the importance of the delivery context in a study in which undergraduate students were provided with CAL materials to supplement the delivery of their course. The evaluation framework was found to be a robust framework for developing and testing didactic teaching packages which were developed in the context of improving the quality of the teaching and learning of bibliographic classification to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Recommendations are provided for future research based on using the framework to explore other contexts in which courseware is developed and implemented

Bloggal segített angolnyelv-oktatás a középiskolában

Napjainkban egyre több törekvés irányul a Web 2.0-ás eszközök tanulási célú használatára. Nem meglepő a tanárok és kutatók lelkesedése, hiszen a Web 2.0-ás eszközök, mint például a közösségi oldalak, a wikik, a blogok kimondottan alkalmasak a többirányú kommunikációra tanár-diák és diák-diák között, a csoportmunkára és a kooperatív, illetve kollaboratív tanulásra, ösztönzik az önálló tartalmak létrehozását, a tanultak újragondolását és alkalmazását. Az utóbbi évtized során számos pedagógiai kutatás foglalkozott a blogokkal megannyi különböző oktatási-nevelési téma kapcsán. Az eredmények alapján körvonalazódni látszanak azok az előnyök, amelyeket a blogtevékenység iskolai használata jelenthet, illetve azok a problémák, amelyek nehézségeket okozhatnak. Ezek ismeretében lehetőség nyílik olyan tanulási programok és módszerek kidolgozására, amelyek során a blogokat megfelelő hatékonysággal lehet a tanítás és tanulás céljába állítani

Young people: a phenomenographic investigation into the ways they experience information

This study investigates the ways young people experience information. Having an understanding of what information means to young people is important for educators and library and information science (LIS) professionals if they are to develop information literacy skills in young people. To date the literature has revealed that scant attention has been paid to this area. This research study addresses a gap in the knowledge. The study used a phenomenographic research approach to elicit and describe the qualitatively different ways in which young people experienced information. A purposeful sample of forty one young people aged eleven to eighteen years participated in the study. The data, which were gathered through drawings and semi structured interviews, were subjected to a rigorous process of phenomenographic analysis. The outcome of phenomenographic analysis is an outcome space consisting of a finite set of categories of description which, with their relationships, explain the different ways people experience phenomena in the world. In this study six ways of experiencing information were identified: knowledge of sources of information; receiving information; process of finding information; store of unprocessed information; processing information; and use of information. The findings highlighted the fact that young people thought about information to a degree that has not always been acknowledged. In addition the findings challenged a number of commonly held assumptions, which have in the past invited criticism, for instance young people’s attitude to ‘cutting and pasting’ information and their poor evaluation of academic information. The findings also revealed a previously unrecognised type of information behaviour described in sub-category A of Category Two, ‘receiving information knowingly’. As a result of this research a more comprehensive picture of the way young people experience information to that currently available has been revealed, however the research also revealed the incompleteness of this picture and suggests the need for further research

The iPad schizophrenia: UAE male students’ reflection on the paradoxes of using iPads in college EFL classrooms

This paper presents data obtained from focus groups conducted to investigate male students’ experience of higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among the issues discussed by students was the impact of using iPads in replacement of printed books and this paper focuses on that issue. Thirteen focus groups were conducted with 83 EFL male students at four government campuses including United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) at Al Ain Campus, Higher College of Technology (HCT) at Ras Al-Khaima Campus), and two campuses (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) of Zayed University (ZU). Students acknowledged the paradoxes of using iPads in learning, citing learning and technical issues that influenced their academic motivation to study. The resulting themes from the focus groups show that ineffective iPad use has had an impact on student class performance and in some cases led to class failure. Recommendation for better iPad implementation is suggested to policy makers and instructors to foster a better student-iPad learning experience

Undergraduate students' experiences with learning with digital multimodal texts.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The study emerged from my interest in understanding the multimodal learning practices and multiliteracies of the current generation of students, especially with the increasingly new genres of texts finding their way into the education landscape. Designed as a pedagogical intervention, it sought to understand the different ways first year undergraduate students at the University of Mauritius experienced learning with and through varied forms of digital multimodal texts (DMTs) within the context of the module Mauritian History (HIST1002Y) included in their programme of studies. A phenomenographic approach was used to describe and interpret the qualitatively different ways participants experienced two learning situations (LS1 & LS2) involving the use and creation of DMTs. A purposeful sample of 19 participants was involved. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, participants’ written reflections, a focus group discussion and a consideration of the DMTs (a video assignment) they produced. The phenomenographic analysis produced two sets of categories of description, one for each learning situation, moving from least to more comprehensive ways of experiencing the phenomenon. As consumers of DMTs in LS1, participants expressed their experiences in five different ways. DMTs were seen as authentic sources of information; as a novelty to the learning approach; as an opportunity to break learning monotony; as emotionally engaging; and as effective and useful learning support. As for LS2 involving participants as authors or producers of their own DMT the findings revealed that such a task was conceived of in six different ways. Making a video was seen as an assessment to be completed for the purpose of grades; a new way of learning and assessment; a journey of ups and downs; an opportunity to widen one’s horizons; an opportunity for personal growth and development; and a process of multimodal orchestration. The categories were further analysed to highlight their logical relationship based on dimensions of variation in the way DMTs were experienced. The overall findings indicate that the implementation of pedagogical practices supported by DMTs could revitalise the teaching and learning of history despite some noted challenges. This calls for a reconceptualisation of higher education pedagogies in alignment with our students’ changing literacy practices so that from passive receivers of knowledge they become active knowledge producers

Bloggal segített angolnyelv-oktatás a középiskolában

Napjainkban egyre több törekvés irányul a Web 2.0-ás eszközök tanulási célú használatára. Nem meglepő a tanárok és kutatók lelkesedése, hiszen a Web 2.0-ás eszközök, mint például a közösségi oldalak, a wikik, a blogok kimondottan alkalmasak a többirányú kommunikációra tanár-diák és diák-diák között, a csoportmunkára és a kooperatív, illetve kollaboratív tanulásra, ösztönzik az önálló tartalmak létrehozását, a tanultak újragondolását és alkalmazását. Az utóbbi évtized során számos pedagógiai kutatás foglalkozott a blogokkal megannyi különböző oktatási-nevelési téma kapcsán. Az eredmények alapján körvonalazódni látszanak azok az előnyök, amelyeket a blogtevékenység iskolai használata jelenthet, illetve azok a problémák, amelyek nehézségeket okozhatnak. Ezek ismeretében lehetőség nyílik olyan tanulási programok és módszerek kidolgozására, amelyek során a blogokat megfelelő hatékonysággal lehet a tanítás és tanulás céljába állítani

Kesan penyesuaian pembelajaran berdasarkan gaya pembelajaran atas talian terhadap pembentukan pengetahuan pelajar

Learning style is personal parameter which could increase students’ achievement. Recent studies have shown that Adaptive Learning Based on Learning Style (PPGP) increased students’ achievement. However, information on achievement does not explain the process of knowledge construction during learning process. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effect of PPGP on the students’ achievement and knowledge constructions. A sampel for this research consists of Diploma students in Electrical Engineering (Computer) who take Multimedia Interactive Application subject at a polytechnic. This research has two samples: set I (130 students) was involved to survey pre-learning style using Felder and Solomon’s questionnaire and set II (35 students) was involved in learning through Learning Management Sytem (LMS). This research has used pre-experimental design with one-group pretest-posttest. Before the treatment, students were given a pre test and LMS without PPGP treatment for 8 weeks to determine online learning style by using automatic approach. Then, for another 6 weeks, the same sample was given LMS with PPGP with active students were given Group-Problem Solving (PPGPPM) and reflective students were given Introspective-Guided Inquiry (PPGP-IT). At the end of the treatment, students were given post achievement tests. Paired-Samples T test was used to investigate the effect of LMS with PPGP on students’ achievement and whereas, its effect on students' knowledge construction was analysed by using content analysis. Next, sequential analysis was used to obtain model of knowledge construction process based on navigational behaviour sequence during learning process. The result shows LMS with PPGP has increased students’ achievement (p=0.000, a=0.05) with the effect size (Cohen d = 2.869) shows LMS with PPGP has given a large effect size on sudents’ achievement in the test. Although the test was repeated several times, the power value is 1.00 showing the same result will be obtained. The result also indicates, the highest level of knowledge construction is 34.49%, which is at integration level. This research also produced a process model of knowledge construction based on potential navigation behaviour that can assist students to achieve high level of knowledge construction based on learning style. In conclusion, LMS with PPGP increases achievement and helps students to achieve higher level of knowledge construction